


May I have a Cheongja?

by lora3210



Category: ATEEZ (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - 1970s, Both are smokers in this fic, First Meetings, Inspired by Old Korean Singer, Korean Society in the early 1970s, M/M, POV Jeong Yunho, on a rainy day
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-04
Updated: 2020-12-04
Packaged: 2021-03-10 02:15:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,365
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27876710
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lora3210/pseuds/lora3210
Summary: One day in the early 1970s, when the heavy rain falling down, Jeong Yunho found a beautiful man singing and dancing in front of an old couple in the small supermarket.
Relationships: Jeong Yunho/Park Seonghwa
Comments: 2
Kudos: 8





	May I have a Cheongja?

**Author's Note:**

> Cheongja : a Korean cigarette sold from 1969 to 1980  
> Kim Choo Ja (김추자) - Walking In The Rain (빗속을 거닐며) (1970) (<https://youtu.be/9FFIr5kRDYk>)
> 
> Inspired by Kim Choo Ja's Performance in the movie 'Tomorrow's Scenery of Korea (내일의 팔도강산) - Episode 3' (<https://youtu.be/LZfkqxo7Hm0>)

The heavy rain was falling. As I didn't expect the weather to be bad at night, I could not help but running to any building nearby to avoid the big drop of rain. I stopped under a wooden awning of a small supermarket. I quickly took out a handkerchief from a chest pocket of my grey suit jacket and tried to wipe the raindrops on my bag. At that moment, I could hear a song from the inside of the supermarket. It was such a loud, beautiful song that I could hear it clearly even in the sound of the falling rain. In the middle of wiping the drops, I turned my body to the door to see what was going on there.

A man in a beige check shirt and denim jeans was singing and dancing in front of an old couple. I could see only his back and finally recalled what the song was. It was one of the hit songs recently played on the radio at that time. I had seen a singer who sang the song. She was dancing while singing and the man's dance was almost the same as hers―a waist moving back and forth and a gesture pointing the air. His voice was a sweet baritone tone but he was also good at singing in a high tone. _Walking in the rain, I cried― listening to the sound of rain, I cried― On a rainy day I think of him―_

When he was making a high-pitched sound with the least effort and turned his back to the door, our eyes could meet. I even couldn't think of swinging my eyes as he was too beautiful and handsome to do so. But soon I bowed my head in shame to avoid his and the old couple's staring at me. I tried to think about how to borrow an umbrella from the old couple as they might be the owner of the supermarket. But in my head was hovering only his beautiful, big eyes with double-eyelids. 

The old woman pushed the sliding door. "Oh, you are avoiding the rain. Come in and stay here until the rain stops."   
I shook my head lightly. "No, madam, I have to go home soon. My parents are waiting for me. If you don't mind, could I borrow an umbrella? I, I will return it to you tomorrow."  
"Oh, sorry. There were only two and we have already lent them to other guests. They were all the old customers and said they didn't expect the rain to come. If you came earlier, you could borrow one of them but..."  
"Oh, that's okay. Then, uh..."

The beautiful man raised his hand. "I have one. Let's share mine. I am also about to go now."

I felt my ears got reddened because of more shame. He came to me and asked which direction we had to go. The voice was soft and his attitude was gentle. I pointed to the west. "Oh, I am also going in that direction." "It will take about 10 minutes to arrive at my home." "It's good luck for you to meet me." "Thank you so much." "You're welcome." He passed by me and opened his umbrella, saying, "Your smile is so cool." I realized that I was smiling like a fool to him. While I was at a loss due to the embarrassment, I could hear his humming and it was the same song he had sung. I guessed he liked the song much.

As I was taller than him, he handed his umbrella to me. "It's better for you to hold it." Walking with me, he told me why he had sung and danced, even though I didn't ask anything. "They were my grandparents. I often visit there on my way home and sing a song they like before the curfew siren rings. You know what the song is?" "Of course, it's Kim Choo Ja's song. 'Walking in the rain.'" "Yeah, right." He laughed a bit. I said, "Your laughter is also cool, like my smile." "Oh, thank you." "You're so beautiful, really beautiful."

"Uh, well, could you please stop saying 'beautiful' to me? I've heard that word too often as most people I've met told me that I am beautiful. And 9 out of 10 were such shallow people that liked only my appearance."  
"Sorry, but it's true that you're beautiful. I am not good at lying."  
"You look so. You look like a puppy that expresses its emotion frankly."  
"A puppy?"  
"I mean you're as cute as a puppy." He giggled. I wanted to emphasize that I was not the same as the people he'd met. "I also like your singing and dancing. You are good at both of them. You were like Kim Choo Ja at that moment."  
"Because both are what I do at my workplace. I go to the bar to sing in front of the audience three days a week. There I sing, dance, and earn money. I like all of them so much."  
"But there must be some wicked men who mishave."  
"Absolutely. They do something bad to the female singers, not me. But sometimes there were a few people who tried to touch my ass, pretending to give me a Cheongja or their drinks."

"If you don't mind, can I say something?" He looked at me. Curiosity on his big eyes. I felt my heart falling down with a thud. "What is it?"  
"I came near losing my temper for a moment."  
"Why?"  
"Because I imagined some men had touched your body."  
"Oh, never mind. Past is past. And there's no reason for you to get upset. You're not my boyfriend. We just met a few minutes ago. Is there anything else?"

No choice but to tell my truth. I swallowed my saliva. "Actually, I'm flirting."

He burst laughter. It was loud enough to echo around the empty street through the rain. I was like turning back to the moment our eyes met for the first time, feeling much embarrassed. His laughter was dying down and he asked, "Do you smoke?" I nodded. "But I don't have a cigar now."

"I have one. Then, can we go there?" He pointed at the closed, dark restaurant. As he said, with no words, I walked there with him, tilting the umbrella to him and making my left shoulder totally wet by the rain. 

Under the dull blue aluminum roof where the raindrops kept falling, he took out a Cheongja box and a lighter from his bag. When he opened the thin case, he made a sound of astonishment at something problematic. "Only one left."

"It's yours. Go ahead."   
"Then, can I have time to smoke and think about your flirting?"  
"Sure."

He lit the last cigarette in his mouth. The hazy smoke was scattered in the air. I vacantly watched the way the smoke disappeared and all of a sudden, thought of an idea. 

"May I have a Cheongja?"

His brownish pupils dilated. "This is the last. You should've told me you wanted it."

"I mean, I want to smoke yours only once."

Just as noticing what I meant, he gave me a meaningful smile. "Is it also your flirting?"  
"Well, I just want to smoke."  
"Well, then, here." 

Taking Cheongja from his hand, I put it in my mouth and sucked in cigarette smoke. Cheongja was a high-quality cigarette at that time and I thought Cheongja was suitable for him as he looked like a foreign actress with a luxurious look. I reminded myself of his singing and dancing and at the same time, Kim Choo Ja. Their appearance was not alike but it was the same that they were the beautiful and fascinating soul who liked to sing and dance. I made one sentence that I thought was the most useful ogle. "You are attractive and sexy like Kim Choo Ja." 

"But I'm not Kim Choo Ja. My name is Park Seonghwa," said he, taking the shortened butt from my mouth and putting it in his mouth again. "My name is Jeong Yunho," said I, thinking about our first indirect kiss.

**Author's Note:**

> [tumblr](https://loafer23.tumblr.com/)  
> Thx:)


End file.
